Cannabis Is Cannabis Is Love Love

By Ruth Fisher, PhD

I’m a mid-50s white female, and until fairly recently one of those people that the OG cannabis community would roll their eyes at, if not visibly scorn, if they knew how I truly felt about stoners

Yes, I was a product of the “This is your brain on drugs” campaign, and while I tried not to judge others, deep down inside, I couldn’t help doing exactly that.

I’m a researcher, and I have a lot of experience in healthcare. While researching HIV/AIDS drugs during the early 1990s, I became aware of the large, grass-roots movement supporting cannabis use for HIV/AIDS patients I recall at the time thinking that while I had no problems with AIDS patients getting stoned as a means of enjoying life however they could, I quickly and easily dismissed any possibility of cannabis having any health or wellness properties whatsoever. No way, no chance.

Fast forward about 15 years: My brother was suffering terribly from what took his doctors several years to diagnose: multiple sclerosis. MS is a progressive disease of the nervous system that slowly erodes patients’ ability to function My brother was experiencing tremendous pain, and that’s when I learned that with all the amazing advances in our fantastically modern healthcare system, doctors are still unable to control chronic pain very well

My brother was taking so many different medications in an attempt to control the pain. Yet, while they were helping somewhat, it was not nearly enough. At the same time, the side effects – such as impaired cognition and balance -- were almost as debilitating as the pain

My brother was suffering horribly, and there was nothing his doctors could do to help He tried every medication, every medical device, every potential solution he could find, whether proven or not, to help with the pain. Nothing worked. It was soul-crushing for me to just sit by and watch as he suffered. I felt so helpless. While I tried to console him with words – the only thing I had to offer – it wasn’t helping at all.

At some point, one of my brother’s neurologists told him that cannabis might help with the pain, but, so typically, the doctor could offer no guidance Despite being on his own to figure it out, my brother leapt at the chance of finding something new to try to help with his pain

My brother had smoked pot before, so he had some familiarity with it, but after walking into a dispensary, he soon realized that cannabis had radically changed from his days of dime bags bought from a friend of a friend of a friend, containing whoknows-what

He bought a couple of different products from the dispensary and tried them out I had no idea any of this had been going on, until he contacted me and said, “I’ve been using cannabis to help with my pain I’m getting some results, but I think if I knew how to use it more effectively, I could get even better results Will you help me figure this out?”

Within seconds of hearing this, my brain was flooded with so many thoughts and emotions I was dumbstruck at the idea that he had ventured to try cannabis as a therapeutic I was gob smacked at the thought that it actually worked But most of all, I was ecstatic at the notion that there was something I could do to help him alleviate his pain.

I dove in and started reading. It took some time before I began to figure things out. Learning about the discovery of the endocannabinoid system was a game-changer for me, and I found all the new research on the vast potential for cannabis as a therapeutic absolutely breathtaking to learn about

I was feeding my brother tidbits of information from the studies I read, and he was incorporating those ideas into his cannabis use regimen Lo and behold, it worked! While cannabis did not eliminate his pain, it did help enough to make it more manageable.

My initial foray into cannabis has become a heartfelt passion to better understand how cannabis works to provide health and wellness benefits for people, and to help educate others about these benefits

However, as much as I’m awestruck by the potential of this magnificent plant, I’m even more overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of other people I've met or heard about who came to very similar reasons as me: to help reduce the suffering of loved ones, be they children, parents, friends or other people suffering similar conditions

For love of their children, countless parents have uprooted their entire families from cannabis-unfriendly states and relocated to cannabisfriendly states, so they can access cannabis to decrease their children’s suffering from chronic conditions.

For love of their parents (or grandparents), countless children provide their parents with cannabis to help ease their pain or anxiety or insomnia – either parents who consume cannabis willingly, or those who don’t realize or acknowledge that the “special tea” their sons or daughters prepare is cannabis tea

For love of their fellow humans, countless people have fought the traditional system tooth and nail to no avail, but, finally, after taking their healthcare into their own hands, have found renewed hope and quality of life with cannabis, and have then gone on to educate others like them about the plant’s potential.

What’s more, so many of these people who have fought the system to access cannabis on behalf of loved ones have gone on to tirelessly devote their time and effort to educate others about the potential of cannabis and to advocate for greater access to cannabis for all.

Now, whenever I hear someone speak out about the dangers of cannabis and insist that cannabis should remain illegal, all I can think of is that this person has never had a loved one who suffered from a medical condition that the traditional healthcare community has been unable to address

To me, when I think of cannabis, I think of a plant that so many people have fought so hard for to help reduce the suffering of someone they love Therefore, to me, cannabis is love.

Ganjier Review

By Rob Sanchez

In Las Vegas, Nevada, there are many dispensaries to choose from near the Strip, each with their own story, history, and specialties. One that truly stands out is The Nevada Wellness Center which has a unique story worth sharing.

The center is owned by Nevada born College Hall of Famer, NFL Super Bowl Running Back, Frank Hawkins. He played for the Raiders in the 80’s before retiring and becoming the first elected Black official in Las Vegas. He went on to become the President of the NAACP for many years and founded multiple businesses aimed at community development.

The Nevada Wellness Center’s mission is to provide high quality medicine to enable folks to live better and happier lives. They also run a food donation program to further help those in need in addition to a diverse menu of cannabis products.

With Valentine’s Day this month, Pink Champagne is on the smoking tray and up for review. I worked with Tyrone during my visit to the shop; he helped to select the cultivar we’re reviewing today.

This gorgeous flower is sure to please, and bears a unique history. Pink Champagne was created by Ken Estes who made a name for himself as a cultivator, breeder, and creator of the famous strain Grand Daddy Purp. This cultivar is a GDP x Cherry Pie cross. Each piece of the flower, all the way down to the stem, is bubbling with cannabinoid goodness. The trim and cure were well done, showing off the curves and bud structure.

Appearance

This cultivar is a GDP x Cherry Pie cross with bright bursts of green and intense trichome coverage.

Aroma

The aroma of Pink Champagne is light and soft on the nose with hints of berry and grape sweetness delivered in a glass of earthy/floral notes The dual layers play with each other in your senses When milled, the flower was even more aromatic; raspberries and dark grape notes rose out of the grinder

Flavor

While the nose was very fruity, the smoke was much more herbal and spiced. The smoke mouthfeel was moderate with a little bite on the exhale. The dry hit of the joint I rolled matched the aroma with hints of fruit and floral notes that stayed on the palate for a moment or two.

Experience

Smoking this flower was enjoyable and mellow. Effects begin slowly at first before layering on one another to create a sense of calm